The meek shall inherit
by Vashuthetyphoon
Summary: What happens when Delta gets a new Rook? Whats this rook hiding anyway, or better yet what's Hoffman hiding about the rook from Marcus and Delta? My first fic, be gentle, I also need a beta.
1. Chapter 1

The clanking sound of metal boots from a COG suit hitting the stone tile echoed down the hall. The rook was not too happy: the whole of Echo squad was dead save the lone COG that returned now with the tags of the fallen squad. He entered Hoffman▓s makeshift office, then stood at attention. Hollow green eyes stared through the visor of the helmet at the Colonel.

"Sir, reporting as ordered. I've brought Echo squad's tags as well." Shaking hands moved from a salute to pull the five cog tags from his neck. He then laid them on the desk in front of the Colonel. "Good man, Frost. I know you▓re still upset by the deaths of your brothers,  
but I need you back in the fight. So I'm sending you to fill in with Delta squad."

A brow raised under the helmet, as if questioning the sanity of the Colonel:  
not that Hoffman could see it. Frost was starting to think the Colonel was trying to get him killed quickly. "Ummm, sir┘Delta? You mean under the command of Sergeant Fenix?"

"Yes Frost. No one else but you can be sent: they're down one man as it is thanks to what happened to Private Carmine a few weeks ago. They should be out near the ridge taking down any Locust stragglers coming from the Hollow. Damn things are like roaches, they live through anything. Anyway, I'll radio Fenix,  
let him know to be expecting you. You'll catch the next King Raven out of here."

The private nodded, having heard all kinds of things about Delta. The leader a man that scared the poor rook to death after hearing stories of just how crazy and determined Fenix was. But what was done was done. Turning to leave the rook was stopped again by the gruff voice of Hoffman. "Frost, stop moping around like some damn punk kid! You▓re not in COG kindergarten anymore, understand? You'll be in good hands with Delta." "Yessir, I'll do my best not to let anyone down, sir."

"Good man. I need you there ASAP, so grab your gear and get your ass on that Raven." Hoffman clicked on his tac/com as the rook left, and then spoke in a gruff voice. "Fenix, you there?"

An even gruffer voice answered after a few minutes. "Fenix here. Where▓s the support you said Delta was getting, sir?" "I'm sending it out now. You▓re getting a new man Fenix: make sure Private Frost lasts you longer and doesn't meet the same demise Private Carmine did.  
I'm running short of people to send out."

"What the hell? You▓re sending me another rook? I don't have time to mollycoddle these damn kids, I've seen enough of them die! Send him to someone else!"

"Afraid I can't do that Fenix. You▓re getting the kid, so shut yer trap and finish your mission. Or would you like to find yourself back in that damn prison?"

"Fine. But I won't be held responsible if he dies. Fenix out." A few hours later, Xander sat yet again with all the gear one needed to survive in the field. He checked the Lancer and Boltok pistol again to make sure both were in prime working condition, not wanting either to seize up at the wrong moment. He then slung them back over the COG suit to their holders.  
Xander made ready to exit the Raven as soon as it made its descent to Delta.

Marcus Fenix sat in a foxhole with the rest of his squad. Dom was sitting to his left, Cole was flanking behind him, and Baird was to his right. He watched silently for the sign of the Raven, making sure none of the Locust stragglers shot it down before they could get their new member. "So, uh, Marcus, did Hoffman say what the kid was like or anything?" Baird questioned. "Hell no, and I don't fucking care. Rather not have another kid under me.  
It▓s gonna be nothing but babysitting and I don't like it at all." "C▓mon, Marcus, it▓s not the kid's fault. We were all rooks at one time or another, remember?" Dom patted his friend on the back. Marcus rolled his eyes before clicking the tac/com in his ear. "Control, how much longer before that Raven gets here?"

A very feminine voice answered the gruff one back quickly. "Anytime now, you should be getting a visual soon." "Anya, you have any information on Private Frost?" Marcus asked.  
Anya was quiet moment before she pulled up what small bit of information she could find on the rook. "Not much here, Marcus. Full name is Xander Frost, age twenty-five, only child of Sergeant Gerald Frost, mother was civilian Tammy Frost, and both parents are deceased.■ There was a pause. "Hmm┘"

"What is it, Anya?" She smiled to herself, looking over the bit of information she found amusing.  
She was about to tell Marcus something interesting about his new rook when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Colonel Hoffman. "No need to tell him everything Stroud. That information is on a need to know basis." "Yessir Colonel." She clicked back to Marcus. "It▓s nothing Marcus. I have conformation the King Raven should be over you right now." Marcus saw the bird coming. He also knew Anya was trying to distract him from whatever she'd found out. He'd press it later, hoping he wasn't getting some fucked in the head kid. "Yeah, Anya, I see it. Fenix out"  
"Alright kid, there's your squad. Out you go." "Yeah, thanks┘I think," he said, jumping from the Raven as it hit the ground. Frost sighed as he fell knees first from the jolt, looking rather foolish and green to the rest of the team. Getting back up he quickly saluted Marcus as he made his way over. Frost knew this man automatically: there was no denying that this was Marcus Fenix. "Hello sir, Private Xander Frost reporting as ordered." Marcus sized the kid up then and there┘damn green ass rook. Get himself killed before the day was out, and like Carmine wore that helmet. They all usually did, till they out grew being afraid and grew a set of balls.. "Cut the formalities kid, you▓re in the field now. Let▓s get one thing straight: do as I say and you'll live though the fucking day, understand? If you don't you▓re Grub food." "Um yes sir┘um, Sergeant." A held breath escaped from the Private▓s lip and the saluting hand drew back down to his side. This man was going to be a real hard ass.

-------------------------------------

I wanna take this time to thank Insane Anarchist-aka Allie for being my beta ^^ this is an updated version.. 


	2. Chapter 2

Xander quickly filed in with the others, still in awe of being assigned to Delta. These guys were legends in their own rights and it made the rook proud to serve under such great men.

Cole was the first to break the silence. "So kid┘your name▓s Xander,  
right? What's a runt like you doing in infantry"  
Xander frowned behind the helmet. It was always the same: you▓re too small,  
too young, too little to do what needs to be done. But so far the youth had proved it wrong over and over. "I was needed. Just about everyone's needed that can fight. I signed up because I wanted to be useful"  
Baird snickered a bit. The kid sounded like he hadn't gone through puberty yet with that damn squeaky voice. "I'm sure you'll be very useful to the Locust as a toothpick, kid."

"What I lack in brawn I make up for in brain. Though not much could be said the same for you, you▓re all mouth"  
Baird narrowed his eyes then and let out a growl. Marcus and the others laughed a bit, and Cole patted the kid on the back. "You▓re alright Xander,  
least in my book. No one▓s ever made Baird shut up so quick."

Marcus cleared his throat then. "Alright enough with the pleasantries.  
Let▓s get this show on the road and close up these holes and get going"  
They worked for the next three hours, clearing out stragglers and closing the holes. This wasn't what Xander expected. The small amount of Locust was nothing compared to the rumors that had been passed around through Basic.  
┘Though Echo had quickly been killed by a small number as well. But they had been all rooks with one older vet. Xander tried to get rid of the screaming cries of pain, blood, all the blood, and the insides of a human that no one but doctors should have to look at. All that had happened all around still echoed in his mind's eye.

Frost stiffed a bit as Dom shook him back to reality. "Hey are you okay, kid?  
You act like you've never seen a dead Grub before"  
The lifeless eyes of the done that stared up at Xander had nothing to do with what was going on. It was just the damn memories that had resurfaced. "I'll be fine. Just bad memories." Dom smiled and patted the kid on the back again."They'll go away with time,  
usually. Just try and focus on the here and now so you don't get killed"  
Marcus walked up on the pair and grunted, "Alright, time to pull out. We have orders to head to Landown to check on some reports of a few more Locust taking refuge up there. Control's sending an APC out so we don't have to walk"  
Baird sat there watching Frost with the others. Something wasn't right, and he couldn't put his finger on it just yet. He wasn't going to let it go though: like a bulldog with a bone in his mouth, he would hang onto this one until he found out what exactly was bugging him. "So, kid, just where were you stationed before they dropped you out here with us?"

Xander turned then, looking at Baird. "I was with Echo squad, and got sent there right out of basic. I wasn't there but a few months before we got ambushed clearing up an e-hole that broke through close to Jacinto. We were the closest ones so they sent us┘everyone died but me"  
Baird smirked then, figuring he had something now. "So you were the only one left outta what, a squad of six? Tell me then: how the hell did you make it out alive?"

Xander's eyes went down under the helmet: if they could see them they would pretty much brand the rook a coward. "I hid sir. We were taking heavy fire from a very well-armed drone squad. I panicked and took cover under a derrick┘and watched as they killed my squad. You happy now? Yeah, I'm a damn coward! First real damn fight I was in, and I panicked and watched as they killed everyone. I couldn't move or do anything."

Baird frowned a bit. "So you just hid while they were killed? You didn't do anything? What the hell! What kind of Gear are you?" It was safe to assume Baird was not pleased with having a coward amongst him. Xander slowly moved away from the man, as it seemed Baird was ready to knock the hell outta him for it. "I oughta punch your head right off┘maybe we'll get lucky and some Grub will shoot your little head off with that damn helmet of yours and it'll go rolling. It▓d give me some satisfaction at least"  
"Enough!!!" Marcus growled. "Baird, calm your ass down." he turned and looked at Xander then "But know this, kid, you better not turn tail and run on this squad or I'll personally shoot you in the ass"  
"Yes sir. I┘I won't let you down." Xander could feel Baird's eyes drilling into him. Already it seemed that the poor rook had made an enemy out of one of the very men that he idolized, and Baird wasn't going to let it die.  
It wasn't long till a King Raven dropped off an APC and the Gears loaded up.  
Marcus was driving, Dom was in the co-pilot's seat, and the rest seemed to be distancing themselves from Xander. So he sat alone looking out one of the small slit windows at the barren lands. War had pretty much scarred everything on the surface. Between the Pendulum Wars and the war with the Locusts right after, nothing seemed to have a break to re-grow. Xander turned then to watch Cole cleaning his lancer, digging out grub guts from the chainsaw blades.

No one said a word, and Xander had had enough of the silence thus far. "So I take it you guys are going to make sure I never forget my cowardice"  
Cole looked up from cleaning. "Look kid, we all get scared even now, so don't let Baird and Marcus's tough guy talk get you down. Roll with the punches and show 'em what your made of"  
Xander nodded and took the words to heart. He then went back to looking out the window, now prepared to show these guys just what he could do.

-------------------------------------------------

I wanna take this time to thank Insane Anarchist-aka Allie for being my beta ^^ this is an updated version.. 


End file.
